Service station



May 17, 1932.

- J. A. DUNN SERVICE STATION Filed Aug. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fFEsr ROOM SUPP/.155 00M May 17, 1932. J. A. DUNN SERVICE STATION Filed Aug. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WM Q 5 Attorney;

Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES JOSEPH ALEXANDER DUNN, OIE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA snnvrcn strarlon Application filed August 24, 1931.

This invention relates to service stations, and more particularly to a service station for the dispensing of motor vehicle products such as gasoline, oil, air, Water and the like, and which is of such a construction as to be applicable to and operable upon a minimum area of ground.

' The cost of petroleum products, particularly gasoline and oil, to the ultimate con- 1.0 sumer is greatly enhanced due to the present method of distributing such petroleum products. Oneof the greatest elements entering into the cost of distribution of petroleum products through service stations is the high rents which must be paid for the area of ground utilized in the operation and maintenance of these service stations. Another great item of expense in the distribution of gasoline and oil from service stations is the large labor charges occasioned by the present system of operation. The public has become so accustomed to the ease of obtaining petroleum products through this system of distribution that its elimination at the present time is practically impossible. It is therefore imperative that some means be provided whereby the overhead and labor charges incident to the distribution of gasoline and oil through service stations be reduced.

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide a service station which is so designed, constructed and operated that it may be maintained on a relatively small area of ground and which, when so positioned, will offer no disadvantage to the purchasing public in obtaining their petroleum products from such a service station.

Another object of my invention is to provide a service station which includes a turntable upon which the motor vehicle to be serviced is adapted to be driven and which turntable is positioned with relation to a dispensing station so that the motor Vehicle, while retained upon the turntable may be completely serviced and then moved in position to leave the service station without requiring any efiort upon the part of the driver of the motor vehicle.

Another object of my invention is to pro- Serial No. 559,001.

vide a service station which is'maintainable upon a minimum area of ground and which includes a plurality of turntables positioned with relation to a centrally disposed dispensing station, and which turntables are so proportioned and positioned that one table oifers no obstruction to the use of the other table or tables, permitting at all times free manipulation of the motor vehicles upon the parcel of land utilized by the service station, and which turntables are so positioned with relation to the centrally disposed distributing station that the motor vehicles as mounted on the turntables may be freely manipulated by the operators so that all service of the cars may be rendered while the motor vehicles are positioned upon the turntables.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a service station which includes a turn- 7 table upon which a car to be serviced is adapted to be driven, and which turntable is provided with a novel surface in whichthere is embedded a lifting hoist enabling the motor vehicle upon the turntable to be elevated in its position with relation to a centrally disposed distributing station for the purpose of greasing, lubricating the vehicle,

making repairs therein, or for the draining of the lubricant from the crank case or other portions of the motor vehicle.

Other. objects and advanatges of this-invention it is believed will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a service station embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 mainly invertical midsection of the service station illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detached sectional view of the "turntable taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 1,

particularly in vertical section, taken at rightangles to, the sectional view illustrated in Figure 2.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates a parcel of land upon which it is desired to operate and maintain a service station. It is essential that this parcel of land be reduced to aminimum number of square feet, particularly on the street frontage side 2 thereof, so that the rent which such a service station must pay may be reduced as far as possible. j

It is also essential that the service station which is maintained and operated on the parcel of land be so constructed and operated so as not to materially or in any way interfere with the service rendered the public if such service station is to be maintained and operated.

In order to operate and maintain the service station on the parcel of land 1 so as not to interfere with the operation or manipulation of the motor vehicles upon this parcel of land as they are serviced with gasoline and oil, the principal products sold at such service sta- I tions, and also so that they may be serviced with Water and air, or given such other service as may be required or desired by the driver of the motor vehicle, I provide on the parcel of land a plurality of turntables 3 and 4 which are positioned on either side of a centrally disposed distributing station 5.

Motor vehicles in length and width are of such maximum dimensions as to enable me to operatethe service station on the parcel of land, the street frontage of which need not exceed 25 feet by the positioning of the two turntables 3 and 4 one to the rear of the other, between which the distributing station 5 is positioned.

This enables the free turning ofthe motor vehicles of the greatest length and their free manipulation upon the area of land as when the motor vehicle positioned on the turntable 3 is positioned with its longitudinal sldes perpendicular to the street side 2, the motor vehicles desiring access to or from the turntable 4 situated at the rear may be manipulated upon either side of the motor vehicle positioned on the turntable 3.

The turntable 3 is preferablypositioned at the forward end of the lot or area of land 1 so that a motor'vehicle may be driven straight onto this turntable in proper position'with relation to the distributing station 5 upon which are mounted the gasolinepumps 6, the oil racks 7 water supply means 8, and the air hoses 9. The distributing station 5 is so positioned that as the motor vehicle is driven onto the turntable 3, the forward end of the motor vehicle is immediately adjacent the distributing station. 5. In this position the motor vehicle may be serviced with water and oil and the forward tires may be inflated with air from the hoses 9. The turntable 3 is then serviced with gasoline and the operator is in position to leave the service station.

tank in the rear of the chassis.

hicle is in position to be serviced with gaso-' line, if it be of the type carrying the gasoline After the requlred amount of gasoline has been placed in the tank of the motor vehicle on the turntable 4, the turntable 4 is rotated through approximately 135 where it is in position to leave the service station in the direction of the'arrow 11, the forward end of the car being headed toward the street.

In this position the motor vehicle on the turntable 4 may be serviced from the distributing station 5 with Water and oil, and in the two different positions the motor vehicle on the turntable 4 may have its tires inflated as'desired. The motor vehicles on both turntables are serviced from the central distributing station :5 and are serviced more or less in alternate relation so thatas one car is receiving gasoline, the other car is receiving oil and water and vice versa, so that one operator is enabled to operate and maintain the service requiredof such a service station.

This is due to a considerable degree to the fact of the location of the central distributing station 5 and to the fact that the operator does not have to move from one station to another in order to service the motor vehicles as theyare positioned upon the lot.

In leaving the service station, the motor vehicle from the turntable 4 passes to the left of. the motor vehicle positioned on the turntable 3 and out into the street.

The'turntables 3 and 4 are rotated from controls positioned within distributing station 5 of the service'station so thatthe occupant or driver of the motor vehicle is required to do nothing while being serviced at the service station.

The turntables 3 and 4 may be rotated in any suitable or desirable manner and I have herein illustrated for the purpose of rotating the tables 3 and 4 reversible electric motors 12,

the drive shafts of which are provided with pinions '13 which mesh with gears 14 carried i on the under surfaces of the tables 4. The controls 15 for operating and reversing the operation of the motors 12 are carried in the distributing station 5;

In order that the motors 12 may be operated and stopped in the correct position, I prefer to provide such motors with solenoid brakes whichare operated from the'controls 15 to arrest the turntables 3 and 4 in the proper position upon the lot 1.

In order that the motor vehicles on the turntables 3 and 4 maybe completely serviced in any manner required by the operator of such motor vehicle, the turntables 3 and 4 are equipped with hoists 16 which may be of any suitable or desirable construction but which are preferably hydraulically operated from an air cylinder 17. The controls for operating the hydraulic hoists 16 are indicated at 18 as positioned within the distributing station 5.

An important feature of my invention is the construction of the tops of the turntables 3 and 4 in order that the operator of the motor vehicle may have definite guides for the position of his motor vehicle thereon. In order to accomplish this result, the turntable tops are provided with raised portions 19 which serve as an indicator to the driver of the motor vehicle when the rear wheels of the motor vehicle pass onto the raised portions 19 that the driver of the motor vehicle has his car positioned properly upon the turntables 3 and 4.

In addition to the guide thus provided by the raised portion 19 of the surface of the turntable, the side members 20 of the hydraulic hoist 16 serve as visual indicators to guide the operator of the motor vehicle when driving the motor vehicle onto the turntables 3 and a.

The spread of the side members 20 being less than the transverse distance between the wheels of the motor Vehicle, the operator of the motor vehicle merely drives his car over the side members 20 until the rear wheels of the motor vehicle pass upon the raised portion 19 of the turntable tops and the operator of the motor vehicle then knows that he is positioned correctly upon the turntables 3 and 4.

In order that the hydraulic hoist 16 may at all times be positioned in proper relation to the motor vehicle upon the turntables 3 and 4E irrespective of the position of rotation of the tables 3 and 4, the side members 20 of the hoist are embedded in slots or recesses 21 formed in the raised portions 19 of the top of the turntables 3 and 4. By this construction the hoists 16 are rotated with the turntables 3 and 4. To the rear of the lot 1 any suitable or desirable forms of buildings 22.n1ay be constructed as are required for the maintenance and operation of the service station, and for the convenience of the public patronizing the service station.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of turntables, a distributing station positioned between theturntables, and means for rotating the turntables whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an angle with reference to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to move on to saidtables from one side of and 7 leave from the other side of said distributing station.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a turntable, a distributing station adjacent the turntable, and means to rotate the turntable with relation to the distributing station whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an angle with reference to said distributing station to allow said Vehicles to move on to said tables from one side of and leave from the other side of said dis- 'tributing station.

- tables may be positioned at an angle with reference to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to move on to said tables from one side of and leave from the other side of said distributing station.

4. In a service station,the combination of a turntable, means on the turntable to guide 9 a motor. vehicle thereon, a distributing station, means for rotating the turntable to position the opposed ends of the vehicle. adj a cent the distributing station, and means on thesurface of the turntable for indicating 1 when the vehicle is positioned on the table whereby one of saidtables may be positioned at an angle with reference to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to move on to said tables from one side ofand leave from the other side of said distributing station,

. 5. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a turntable, a hoist mounted axially of the turntable, means for rotating the turntable, and means for rotating the hoist with the turntable whereby one of said tables may be positioned .at an angle with reference to said distributing station to allow Said vehicles to move onto said tables from one side of and leave from the other 11 side of said distributing station.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a turntable, the turntable having a top, araised portion on top of the turntable, and a hoist mounted on the turntable top imbedded in the raised portion thereof to turn therewith whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an angle with reference'to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to moveon to said tables from one side of and leave from the other side of said distributing station. v

7 In a service station, the .combination of a pair of turntables located one to the rear of the other, and a distributing station between the turntables whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an angle to said distributing station to allow vehicles to move on to said table and leave said table on either side of said distributing station.

8. In a service station, the combination of a pair of turntables located one to the rear of the other, a distributing station between the turntables, and means for independently rotating the turntables with relation to the distributing station whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an angle to said distributing station to allow vehicles to. move on to said table and leave said table on either side of said distributing station.

9. In a service station, the combination of a pair of turntables located one to the rear of the other, a distributing station between the turntables, and means for independently rotating the turntables with relation to the distributing station and for returning the turntables to their initial position where by one of said tables may be positioned at an angle to said distributing station to allow vehicles to move on to said table and leave said table on either side of said distributing rear turntable to pass on the sides of a motor vehicle positioned on the front turntable whereby one of said tablesmay be positioned at an angle to said distributing station to allow vehicles to move on to said table and leave said table on either side of said distributing station.

'11. In a service station, the combination of a pair of turntables located one to the rear 7 of the other, a distributing station between the turntables, means for rotating the front turn table to turn a motor vehicle thereon around so that it may leave the service station, and means for rotating the rear turntable to allow motor vehicles going onto and leaving the rear turntable to pass on the sides of the motor vehicle positioned on the front turntable whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an angle with reference to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to move on to said table from one side of said distributing station.

12. In a service station, the combination of a pair of turntables located one to the rear of the other, a distributing station between the turntables, and hoisting means axially of the said turntables and adapted to rotate therewith whereby one of said tables may be positioned atan angle with reference to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to move on to said table from one side of said distributing station.

13. In a service station, the combination of a pair of turntables located one to the rear of the other, adistributing station between the turntables, hoisting means axially of the said turntables and adapted to rotate therewith, and means on the turntable for indicating when motor vehicles are positioned thereon whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an ngle with reference to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to move on to said table from one side of said distributing station.

14. In a service station, the combination of a pair of turntables located one to the rear of the other, a distributing station between the turntables, hoisting means axially of the said turntables and adapted to rotate therewith, means on the turntable for indicating when motor vehicles are positioned thereon, andmeans for independently rotating the turntables to'position the respective end of the motor vehicles on said tables with respect to the distributing station whereby one of said tables may be positioned at an angle with reference to said distributing station to allow said vehicles to move on to said table from one side of said distributing station.

Signed at Los Angeles, California this 19th day of August, 1931.

JOSEPH ALEXANDER DUNN. 

